The Milwaukee Brewers have another chance to close out the Chicago Cubs and clinch their NLCS spot on Thursday.
The pregame narrative: Chicago staved off elimination yesterday with a 4-3 win and is a slim underdog today. The Cubs turn to lefty Matthew Boyd, who got shelled in Game 1 of this series on Saturday. Milwaukee counters with its own ace, Freddy Peralta.
Check out my Brewers vs. Cubs predictions for Oct. 9, featuring prop bets on Andrew Vaughn and Kyle Tucker.
Brewers vs. Cubs predictions
Parlay: Brewers moneyline | Vaughn over 1.5 bases | Tucker over 0.5 hits (+525)
Brewers moneyline (-122): We saw this pitching matchup unfold on Saturday, and the results were ugly. on Chicago’s side
Boyd gave up four hits and six runs (two earned) in 0.2 IP, and the Brewers went on to win 9-3. Peralta was much better, throwing 5.2 innings of two-run ball and striking out nine.
Can we expect a bounce-back effort out of Chicago’s southpaw at home? I doubt it.
Boyd has been shaky from Aug. 1 onward, sporting a 4.89 ERA over 12 starts with a miserable 18.5% K rate. The Cubs lost seven of those games.
Chicago’s active lineup has never been able to figure out Peralta. In 228 combined plate appearances, the group is hitting .161 and slugging .327 with a 29.8 K%.
I expect the MLB-best Brewers to move on.
MLB SGP legs
Vaughn over 1.5 bases (+148): I backed Vaughn to go over 1.5 bases against a lefty (Shota Imanaga) in Game 2, and he delivered with a towering three-run blast.
It seems like a no-brainer to go back to him tonight at these odds.
- The first baseman closed the year on a tear, putting forth a .368/.433/.509 slash line in September.
- He’s batting .403 with a 1.064 OPS against LHPs since joining the Brewers.
Vaughn is only 3-for-12 against Boyd, but each of those hits went for extra bases (two doubles, one home run).
There’s also a projected 10 mph breeze blowing out to left field at Wrigley tonight, where Vaughn has pulled all but two of his 14 home runs this year.
Tucker over 0.5 hits (-175): Tucker is having a miserable postseason, and, if my projection holds true, will likely be playing his final game as a Cub.
But that’s neither here nor there — I expect the upcoming free agent to record a hit.
Tucker went 2-for-3 yesterday, raising his playoff batting average to .250. The lefty bat has a platoon advantage against Peralta tonight and has played him well over a solid sample.
He’s 5-for-13 against Peralta with just one strikeout and an 11.9% whiff rate.
Brewers vs. Cubs predictions as of 2:45 p.m. on 10/09/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.